My dermatologist told me to stop using retinol every night. Turns out she was right.

For about 6 months I was applying 0.05% retinol every single night because I thought more was better. My skin got red, flaky, and even broke out more. At my last checkup in March, my dermatologist in Denver said to cut back to 3 times a week and use a heavier moisturizer on off nights. I thought she was being too cautious. After 6 weeks of following her advice, my skin looks way better. No more peeling and the fine lines are actually fading. Has anyone else had success with cutting back on actives?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahpark1d ago

Honestly, I read this thing from a dermatologist online that said retinol is like a friendship - you gotta give it space to actually work. I was doing the same thing, slathering it on every damn night thinking I'd speed-run perfect skin. Big mistake. My face looked like a peeling lizard for weeks before I finally listened to my own doctor. Cutting back to every other night and adding a basic moisturizer with ceramides made all the difference. It's wild how less is actually more with this stuff. I think we all get brainwashed by those "more is better" vibes on social media.

lisa_bennett1d ago

My sister tried retinol once and then gave up after three days because she said it made her look "sad and flaky." She switched to a gentle vitamin C serum instead and her skin actually looks way better now, but I think she just wasn't patient enough. Different strokes for different folks I guess, but her whole routine is basically the skincare version of a trial separation.